S&W .38 Special ID plus

[Gryff]

That crack makes the gun an extreme danger to anyone who shoots it. I'll give you $50 for to cover the scrap metal value.

[Fishslayer]

Model 60 Chief's Special Stainless. J frame 5 shot .38 Special.

The dash number indicates an engineering or production change.

-7 was 1990 and changed the sight width to 1/8" and heat treated package.

Nice revolver.

I freaked out when I saw that "crack" on my first revolver too.

Also, could this be re-chambered for the .357 magnum?

I wouldn't and I doubt any gunsmith would. I believe the magnums use a different heat treating process. Big Dogs in a J frame are not overly pleasant anyway.

[Waggs]

Thanks Fishslayer. That's a great rundown on what I have. I appreciate all the comments. Since it seems do hard to get ammo, I was thinking about setting up to reload ammo for this gun since it's the only one I have, with the exception of a .22 and a .177 pellet rifle. Back in the 80's I had all my guns stolen during a burglary and never replaced them. Ammo is hard to find right now and so are the primer to reload. But a small reloading station would be fun and then buy parts as they are available.

[Timbob55]

Not sure what model it is but i don't think its a crack. I think its the part that comes off when you disassemble it.

^^^ this ^^^

[Waggs]

How about adding laser sights on this revolver?

[Grumpyoldretiredcop]

Thanks Grumpy. By the way, what does the P stand for? Also, could this be re-chambered for the .357 magnum? I'll check out that forum. Thanks again.

+P (plus pressure) = ammunition loaded to higher pressure than SAAMI standard for the .38 Special, not to be used in older revolvers or those not rated for +P.

I doubt that you'd find anyone who could rechamber your revolver for .357 Magnum. I've never compared a .38 version to a .357 version to see if the cylinder is long enough. You can find Model 60 variants chambered for .357 in the market. Fire yours with standard .38 ammo first, then +P, then decide if you really want one. I'm perfectly happy with the .38 Special standard round in this small framed revolver.

Crimson Trace offers Lasergrips for the Model 60.

[Waggs]

Thanks Grump for the info and the web site. Finding any kind of ammo these days is a task. As for rechambering, it was just a question. I'm happy the way it is.

[Waggs]

I'm back with one more question about this revolver. Can someone suggest a nice belt type holster? Thanks

[rsmorgan]

There are probably more holsters made for a 2" J-frame than anything else except 1911s. You'll go cross-eyed if you go to someplace like MidwayUSA on the web. Personally, for an OWB holster I like a classic "pancake" for this gun, such as those made by Simply Rugged.

Can't convert to .357 since the cylinder is too short for that load. Don't think the frame would hold-up either; the .357 M60s are significantly beefed-up from the older versions.

Your gun has an aftermarket Pachmyer grip which will help with recoil. Even so, the M60 has a lot of snap to its recoil even with standard velocity ammo. For your first shooting experience, I'd suggest picking up a box or two of wadcutter or cowboy ammo if you can find it.

[Grumpyoldretiredcop]

The Model 60 lends itself readily to belt carry. Quality holsters can be had from just about every holster maker on the planet, as has already been noted. I favor belt slide style holsters with a thumbsnap as they are slightly less bulky than pancake style holsters.

[Old Scribe]

Nice looking wheel gun. If you are serious about starting to reload, start looking for gear NOW as it is almost as hard to find (for areasonable price) as is ammo. Try it, you'll like it.